Jacksonville man's first hole-on-one came in front of select company and earned a new car

Donald Wilkinson of Jacksonville (left) holds up the Callaway No. 3 ball he used to make a hole-in-one on Monday at Deerwood's 15th hole in the UNF Golf Classic. Nimnicht GMC Buick general manager Jackie Lynch, whose dealership donated the Buck Encore car Wilkinson won, is on the right.

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Anyone's first hole-in-one is a huge thrill. Donald Wilkinson's came with a few extra trimmings on Monday at the Deerwood Country Club.

The 65-year-old retired insurance executive, who carries a 10-handicap at the San Jose Country Club, used a 5-iron from 174 yards out at Deerwood's 15th hole during the 15th annual University of North Florida Golf Classic, hosted by four-time PGA Tour winner Billy Kratzert and Buster Browning.

Not only was it the first ace for the Jacksonville resident, but Wilkinson had quite the audience: he was playing in a group that included star NFL players from the present and past, Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. In addition, UNF athletic director Lee Moon was standing behind the green, along with several Ospreys athletes who were serving as volunteers.

Wilkinson also had quite the reward, and not just a hole-in-one plaque. He won a 2013 Buick Encore, valued at $28,000 and donated by Nimnicht Buick GMC.

"He was on fire all day," Marino said about Wilkinson. "He almost holed out [his second shot] on the next hole. It was a lot of fun to see."

Wilkinson hit his No. 3 Callaway Gold ball into the cup, cut on the back-left, on one bounce. He used a Ping G20 iron.

The ball hit the flagstick after bouncing and slithered down the stick into the hole.

"I didn't realize what happened at first," said Wilkinson. "The guys started yelling it was in, and I didn't believe them at first. I told myself, 'they're just kidding.'"

But when Moon and the UNF athletes behind the hole began celebrating, Wilkinson knew it was true.

And here's the backstory: Wilkinson wasn't even in the group as of a week before. A friend of his at San Jose, Randy Crabtree, purchased the group and got Marino (whose son plays golf at UNF) and Scobee as their celebrity players.

But two original members of the group had to back out, one because of an arm injury and the other due to a scheduling conflict. Crabtree called Wilkinson a week ago to ask if he would play.

Nimnicht Buick GMC general manager Jackie Lynch said two players in the last three years of the UNF Golf Classic have won cars with aces. In 2011, Butch Clark of Jacksonville (who lives near Wilkinson) won a car from the dealership.

Lynch said in the previous 24 years he has been at Nimnicht, there wasn't a car won in a hole-in-one contest.

Of course Lynch said the cars in these cases are insured.

"We're happy when anyone wins one of the cars," he said. "We love supporting UNF and its athletic program and it this creates a little more excitement, that's great."

Wilkinson said he is considering donating the car to charity, because he purchased a new one just last summer.